Whiffletree-center



' \wiu' 4 I A M (No Model.)

' J. EDGAR.

WHIFPLETREE CENTER.

No. 601,462. Patented Mar. 29,1898.

/4 a x 759 I 3 6 Y 1 Lil UNITED JOHN EDGAR, OF RooHEsTER, MINNESOTA.

WHlFFL ETREfE-CENTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601 ,462, dated March 29, 1898. Application filed October 26,1897. Serial No. 656,392. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN EDGAR, of the city of-Rochester, county of Olmstead, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whiffietree-Oenters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for pivotally attaching whiffletrees to eveners or eveuers to tongues.

The object of the invention is to provide a whiftletree-center which will prevent the binding or the tilting of the Whiflietree on the evener and to this end my invention consists generally in the combination, with an evener, of the whiffletree, with a plate secured upon the evener, another plate bearing thereon and attached to the whiffletree, a center stud or pivot for said plates, and a third plate or strap bearing on the top of the whiffietree-plate, and means for drawing or forcing down said top plate; and the invention further consists in particular constructions and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a whiffietree and evener connected with the device embodying; my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinally-vertical section thereof on the line a; a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a whiifletree and evener, showing bolts for drawing down the top plate of the center or coupling. Fig. 4 is a vertical and longitudinal section of a tongue and evener, showing a slight modification of my invention. Fig. 5 is aplan view thereof with the evener removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the top plate used in the preferred form of my device.

As shown in the drawings, 2 represents the whififletree, and 3 the evener. On the top of the evener is the circle-plate 4,secured thereto in any desired manner. This plate is provided with a central stud 5. 6 is a circle-plate provided with arms or extensions 7, which are bolted or otherwise secured on the under side of the whiffietree 2, said arms being projected above the plate so as to leave a space 8 between the top of the plate 6 and the bottom of the whiffletree. The plate 6 is provided with a central hole 9 and is pivoted or swiveled on the stud or pin 5. The plate 6 is also provided with a central boss 10 on its upper surface, which serves as a bearing for the'top plate 11, which plate has a central hole to fit the boss 10. If desired, the boss 10 may be dispensed with and the plate 11 pivoted or journaled directly on the stud 5. The stud 5 preferably extends upwardly into the whiffletree a short distance.

The plate 11 is provided with integral legs 12, which, with the plate, form a U -clip, the sides or legs of which extend down along the sides of the evener 3.

13 is a clip-plate in which the lower ends of the legs 12 are adjustably secured by nuts 14 thereon. When the clip is drawn down, the plate portion 11 will be firmly pressed upon the top of the whiffietree-plate 6 and said plate firmly and squarely seated on the evener-plate i. The plate 11 and the plateet both engage the whiffietree-plate 6 across the full surfaces thereof and particularly at its outer edges, so that the tilting or binding of the whiffietreeplate upon the evener-plate ispositively prevented. The stud 5, which may be madeof any convenient size, takes the lateral strain caused by the forward pull on the whiflietree, but is relieved of the forward tilt and twisting commonly noticed in whiffietree-centers in ordinary use.

The only change required in the device when used between a tongue and evener is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The legs or bolt portions of the top plate or clip are extended down through the tongue instead of being fastened to the sides thereof, and they are also preferably put through the tongue-p1ate to give the clip additional rigidity. In place of making the top plate in the form of a clip withintegral bolts or legs separate bolts 15 may be employed, as shown in Fig. 3. In this case the whiftletree-plate is preferably provided with side extensions 16, through which the bolts pass, the bolts being thereby given three points of bearing to prevent any twisting or oscillation therein. The other features of construction remain the same.

It is obvious that my device is adapted to any degree of modification or ornamentation, that it may be made in any size and adapted 'to any special pattern in vehicle construction.

I do not confine my invention to the precise constructions herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters bers, the plate 6 secured upon the other member, and resting upon the plate 4, a central pivot or stud for said plates, the pressureplate or follower engaging said plate 6, and means for adjusting said plate 11, substan- 'tially as described.

.6 true upon said plate 4, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination, with the plate 4 provided with a stud, of the plate 6 swiveled on said stud, and the clip-plate 11 engaging said plate 6, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the plate ,4 provided with a center stud, of the plate 6 provided with a center boss, the plate 11 fitting said boss, and bolts attached to said plate 11, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the circular plate 4, of the circular plate 6 provided with a center boss, a center stud integral with one of said plates and engaging the other, the circular clip-plate 11 fitting said boss and provided with integral legs 12, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of October, A. D. 1897.

JOHN EDGAR. In presence ofi C. G. HAWLEY, RICHARD PAUL. 

